Folding and convertible holder for babies.



J. H. RUEL. FOLDING AND CONVERTIBLE HOLDER FOR BABIES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19,1913.

1,129,606. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

m fo /an HRuzl.

' 266'. 0 (17% BY WW J. H. RUBL.

FOLDING AND CONVERTIBLE HOLDER FOR BABIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19,1013.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 BHBETSSHEET 2.

N vE. N 7012.

Jab/2211M.

/ TNEcSrSEG.

Arrx {6H H. RUEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOE.

EQLDING AND GONVERTIBLE HOLDER FDR BABIES.

S pecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Fob. $3, 19$ 2% kiiplication filed June 19, 1918. Serial Ho. 774,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 0311 H. Rm a citizen of the United States o t America, resid ing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Folding and Convertible Holders for Babies, of which the fol-lowing is a. s cification.

This invention re ates to a, seat or holder for infants, and it consists in certain peculimzrities of the construction, novel arrengo meal; andoperation of the various arts thereof so will be hereinafter more fol y set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a light, portable and inexpensive, yet strong and durable seat or holder for very young babies, the ports of which can be readily foldd together, so as to form a, compact package, which can be conveniently carried, or if desired, stored away without ocillpgng much room or space.

rther object of the invention is to tunnisli a seat or holder of the above named general character, the ports of which can be easily and quickly moved or. changed from their collapsed or folded positions to their operative or normal ones,'to the end, that the device may be used in connection with the back of a common chair to provide a high-chair for the use of babies at the table, or if desired, it can be readily and securely attached to the frame of a' pull-cart or sulky, so as to provide a safe and comfortable holder and seat for c child too young to sit and ride on such a vehicle w ithout proper safeguards.

A still further object is to so construct the holder that it can be readily converted into a nd utilized as a safe seat for swings, or as a lmby-holder for jumpers, Besides, it is mlaptoblc for use as a pen to hold a child ithin cortain confines on a sofa, bed or the floor.

Still another object is to provide the colder with an adjustable and detachable :r ;which will not only assist in holding the chi within the seat or holder, but will afford sup out in easy reach. for ooys, playthings and cod,

Variousotherobjccta and advantages of the invention Willi-so disclosed in the subjoined description" and explana tion.

In the accompanying drawings, which servoto illustrate an embodiment of the. in-

, vention l iguie 1 iso gorspectivc view of the holder or sect, showing it supported c. the back of a common chair to provide w highchair for a baby, and illustrating o cozitinoous lines normal position of the ports, and by dotted lines the tray in the oi being detached from the supoorting arms therefor; Fig. 2 is a side view of the holder, showing. itwith its parts in their foldedpositions; Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged bottom plan view partly in oection, taken on line 3-3 of Fig, 1; Fig. 4 is a, side View of the last named figure; Fig. 4 is a detail view, showin the means for hingedly connecting the bee membcr and seat member at their adjacent edges; Fig. 5 is o fragmental per: spoctive view of a, portion of the tray and a part of one of the supporting arms th'ereior, showing the manner of forming a sleeve at each side of the tray for the reception of the supporting arms; Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the holder mounted on a pullccrt or sulky, and Fig. 6 is a, side view 0% the holder, showing it in use as a holder or seat for a swing or jumper.

Corros for to lixe parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 10 designates the back member of the holder and 11 the seat member thereof, which are preferably made of Wood, and may be P any suitable size and for'm in outline, Secured to the side edges of the back 10, are channeled straps or pieces 12, of which has at its lower end an apert'ured extension 13, which are preferably extended slightly forwardly as shown in Fig. a of the drawings. Secured to each of the side edgw of the soot member 11,is a. channelod. strap or" piece- 14, each of which has at its reap-end an opertured extension 15, which extcnsions are preferably projected upwmclly as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Tho extensions iii and of the ohcnncled straps 1'2 and, i4- rospoctively are pivotally connected together by means of pivots 16, extended through the openings in the extensions of said straps, thus hinging the back 10 and em 11 together, as is apparent. The hinged comers of the back and seat members are preferably covered with felt or other flexible material 17, to prevent marring the chair on which the holder may be suppoitcd. Pivotally connected to each of the side edges of the scat lLneor its front end is link 18, which is pivotcily connected at its other end to link 19, which latter riding numerals of reference reopenings, but it links are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the side edges of the back 10, near its upper cnd.

The bacl: 10, has connected thereto at or near each of its upper corners, by means of chains 30, or other flexible connection, hooks 21 to engage the back 2;, of a common chair, used to support the holder. Those hooks may be suitably covered to prevent them marring the chair on which the holder is mounted. Iivotally connected to each of the links 19, between the ends thereof, is an arm 23, each of which has in its rear end a recess 2-4, to receive a stud 25, secured to and projecting from each of the channeled members 12, at about the middle thereof. Each of the arms 23, has pivotally connected thereto, near its rear end, a hook catch 26, to engage the studs 25, so as to securely hold the arms 23 in engagement therewith. These arms are slightly flexible or resilient and extend forwardly to a considerable distance beyond the front end of the seat 11, and each has on its outer surface, near its front end an elongated button :27, to engage a similar y shaped opening formed in each side of the tray 29, near its front portion.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and l of the drawings, the openings 28, in the tray, ex tend longitudinally with respect thereto, While the elongated buttons 27, normally extend. transversely with. respect to said will be understood that by tilting the tray on the pivots provided the buttons 27, the openings 28 therein may be brought into register with the said buttons, thus allowing them to pass through said openings to permit the tray to be removed. This tray is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 29, and is preforobly made of sheet metal, having a dished upper surface; or, in other words, a rim 30, extended around its edges. This rim is preferably formed by rip-setting the metal out of which the tray is made, so as to l arm a channel or groove on the lowersuri ace of the tray. At therear portioi'rot each of the sides of the my a recess 31 is formed in the rim 30, for the insertion of the arms 23, which support the tray.

As is clearly shown in Figs 3 and 5 of the drawings, the downturncd or outer portions 32, of the sides of the rim are re vided each with an inwardly extended hinge 33 to rest beneath the arms 23, but it will be noted that there is considerable space between' the inner edge of each of the flanges 3 3 and the inner Wall 34 of each of the si es of the rim 30, thus permit-ting the arms 23, to be pressed toward each other and roleased from the flanges 33, to the end, that the tray 29, may be tilted on the pivots or buttons '27, until the opening in the tray, register with the elongated buttons, so

.ton no or handle 42 of the that they can be disengaged therefrom. Each side of the tray is provided rcar wardly of the pivots 27, with a catch 35, to receive a cord 36, the lower end of which may be secured by means of a hook 37, in an opening 38, in the front end of cool. of the channeled pieces 14, of the seat. l'lu upper portion of the cord 36, may be at inched in any suitable manner to any suit able support, such as a coiled spring of tlu usual kind used for l aby jumpers or so lugs cord 39, secured at one of its ends to rail of the chains 20, at the upper portion of the back 10, and at its other end to a SUll'ilili support or spring (not shown}, his his.) la: employed when it is desired to use illa' hoidcr for the purpose of a. swing soil. (H the seat of a baby jumper, and it mi lent that as the catches 35 on the sides of tin: tray :29, are located in front of the point:- at which the lower ends of the cord-s or cables 36 are attached to the seat member 11, said cords or cables and said catcl'ies o ill sustain the holder in substantially 2t horizontal pos tion; or, in ot or words, W'lli prevent it tipping forwardly, and thereby allowing the child to slip between the from portion of the seat 11, and the rear portion of the tray, all of which will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 6' of. the draw ings.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the holder mounted on a, sullry'or pullout, which may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction, and which forms no part of A the presentinvention, but in order to illus trate the adaptability of my imoroved holder or sent for use in connection with a vehicl I have deemed it necessary to illns trate one form of such. vehicle, in which it will be seen. that the rear portion of the frame 40, of the vehicle is provided at each of in rear corners with a forwardly extended. projection #51, to engage the rear portion of the scat member 11, While. the

vehicle has pivoteo on its upper portion, near the front part of the seat member 11, a catch 43, which can be turned in and out of engagement with the seat member 11, and held in engagement therewith by means of a collar 44, slidabl mounted on the tongue or handle 42, so to engage the lower portion of said catch.

By reference to Fig. :2 ol the drawings, it will be seen that the links 19, are pivoted at their outer ends to the. sidcsf'of the back member 10, at points at greater distzinces from the pivots 16, than are the pivoted outer ends of the links 18, which construction, I have found by experiment and practice, enables the ports of the holder to be folded into a more compact space than if th pivot points of the outer of said links were located at the same d stances from the pivots 16, which unite the back and seat members.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings, it will be readily understood and clearly seen, that when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 of the drawings, the holder is ready for the occupancy of a child, and that the child or baby can be easily placed within the holder by extending his or her legs downwardly between the arms 23 and outwardly between the front portion of the seat member 11, and rear portion of the tray 29, or if desired, the arms 23, may be pressed toward each other, which will release them from the flanges 32, on the lower part of the sides of the tray, when the latter may be turned on its pivots 27, until the elongate portion of the openings 28, in said tray register with the elongated buttons 27, at which time it is obvious that said buttons may be removed from said openings and the tray detached, after which the child may be placed on the seat 11, and the tray attached to the arms by a reverse operation to that just above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A foldin and convertible holder ineluding a bac c, a seat movably connected thereto, bracing means composed of links pivotally connecting the back and seat, and tray-supporting arms cooperating with the back and bracing means to lock the latter in operative position.

2. A foldin and convertible holder including a bac a seat movably connected thereto, bracing members including connected links pivotally secured to both the back and seat, and traysupporting arms connected to said bracing members and back and locking the links in extended relaion.

3. A folding and convertible holder including a back, a seat movably connected thereto, pivotally connected links arranged intermediate the back and seat, tray supporting arms pivotally connected to one 0 said links, and means for removably connecting said arms to the back to maintain the links in extended relation.

4. In a folding, and convertible holder, pivotally supported arms, a tray, the edges of the tray being formed to provide channels to receive and inclose the forward por tions of the arms, and cooperating locking means formed on the tray and arms, the bot tom of the channel being interrupted on the inner edges of the channel to permit rotative movement of the tray when the arms register with such interrupted portions.

In a folding and convertible holder, pivotally supported arms, a tray, the edges of the tray being formed to provide channels to receive and inclose the forward por tions of the arms, and cooperating locking means formed on the tray and arms, the bottom of the channel being interrupted on the inner edges of the channel to permit rotative movement of the tray when the arms register with such interrupted portions, said arms being resilient to normally register with that portion of the channels having a bottom wall.

JOHN H. RUEL.

Witnesses:

(inns. C. TILLMAN, A. PHILLIPS. 

